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Most children sustain MPFL injuries located at the patellar attachment site
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Skeletally immature children with primary lateral patellar dislocations have a greater chance of sustaining medial patellofemoral ligament injuries at the patellar attachment site, according to results of this MRI and arthroscopic study.
Researchers conducted a prospective case study at the Astrid Lingarden Children’s Hospital at Karolinska University Hospital in Solina, Stockholm. The study included 74 children with a mean age of 13.1 years who sustained a suspected medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) injury after acute, primary and traumatic lateral patellar dislocations. MPFL injuries were categorized according to location as femoral, multifocal or patellar. Soft tissue edema was used to confirm the MPFL injury on MRI scans. During the arthroscopic surgery, investigators measured the length of the MPFL injury at the patellar site.
Results from the MRI scans showed 44 patients had an isolated MPFL injury at the patellar attachment site. There were multifocal injuries in 26 patients, femoral site injuries in three patients, and one patient had no injury.
Results of the arthroscopic surgery revealed 60 patients sustained MPFL injuries at the patellar site, 13 patients had multifocal injuries and 49 patients had total ruptures. In 99% of patients, an MPFL rupture was found and confirmed with edema at the patella attachment site and was seen on MRI. Investigators noted a patellar-based injury was seen in 95% of patients on MRI. Researchers found MRI had a false-negative rate of 5% for detecting these injuries. ‒ by Monica Jaramillo
Disclosures: Askenberger report no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
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